Inheriting Tragedy
by akikos-wok
Summary: Garai's children aren't exactly the luckiest.  Deals with the lives of Glenn and Dario years before the events of the game.


**Inheriting Tragedy**  
by: akikos-wok

DISCLAIMER:  
Chrono Cross is copyright of Square-Enix CO. Its characters do not belong to me and I make no money by messing with them.

NOTE:  
Zippa is supposed to be speaking with a Scottish accent, as that is how I interpreted the dialect she was given when the game was translated into English. I have chose to incorporate some Scottish slang in her speech- but I think it's fairly comprehensive. Also, since at this point Karsh is a child living with his parents, his speech is similar to theirs.

**chapter one**

The storm outside seemed determined not to leave a single thing unaltered, a single life in tact. It tore ferociously at the wooden door to the smithy, battling to wrench it from its hinges that it might sweep inside and leave its dreadful watermark within. The door rattled under such pressure but held strong, allowing only spits of rain to squeeze under the tiny space where it met the base of the cement frame.

"Dearie me, we've just had that door replaced," Zippa declared. She shook her head in disapproval of the steadily growing puddle in her foyer. "Can't remember the last time we had a storm like this. Well, 'tis a bloody good thing we had that door replaced when we did, lest this storm would be makin' a swimmin' hole out o' this place, shop, house and all!"

"Mom, ye cannae be serious about that," her son Karsh said, voice quavering with willfully suppressed uncertainty. "It's just a wee rainstorm."

Zippa moved to her son's side, affectionately mussing up his mop of silvery hair. "Afraid of a wee swim, eh son? Can't imagine our Lord Viper fearin' a bitty water. Garai nor Radius either. Yer father was never much of swimmer-"

"Mam, stop it!" Karsh cried, rising and pushing her hand away from him. "Ah'm not afraid. Ah'm just…concerned a bit." He glanced cautiously at the door. "Dad, he's back safe at the manor, right?"

"Of course he is dearie," Zippa replied, reaching her arms out and folding the boy into a welcomed embrace. "Dinnae fash yersel. The storm'll pass through and he'll be home wantin' his supper long before the morrow." _It's__not him Ah'm afraid for._ She added mentally, momentarily tightening her hold on her child. "Run off now and ask Dario how his brother's farin' will ye?"

Karsh obediently ran off in the direction of the master bedroom. Zippa stood staring once more at the door hoping it would open and in would come her husband, drenched with rain, with Radius and Garai in tow, the three of them laughing, haphazardly removing cloaks and armor, and she yelling at them all the while not to track mud all over her floors, nor spoil her new carpets. Secretly she would be laughing with them, happy to sacrifice cleanliness for their safety, anxious to hear the tales they had to tell of their latest conquest over a cup of tea, brewed with water from the kettle already heating on the stove.

She knew her husband was fine. Admittedly the ferocity of this storm had planted the slightest seed of doubt in her, but she still very strongly supposed. He had left just that morning to the manor to discuss cost efficiency of iron weapons for the lesser dragoons with General Viper. Recent unearthing of iron deposits in Fossil Valley had led Zappa to believe that sturdy iron could very soon replace the less reliable copper as the primary material for military equipment. While it was possible that this planning could lead to military expeditions where Zappa might risk his life daily, that was a possible future and not the reality of the present. For now he was in the manor, probably safer from the perils of the storm than Zippa and her charges were in the smithy.

What worried her were the fates of Garai and Radius. They had gone on an expedition to retrieve the weapon wielded by the last soldier standing from the Kingdom of Guardia during its final, futile resistance against the Porre invasion. Though she didn't know for certain, Zippa supposed it must be much more than your run-of-the mill sword if Viper felt the need to go and claim it for El Nido. The fact that when she had asked, Zappa, her own husband, refused to tell her any more than "They're on a mission to retrieve a...an exceptional weapon" unnerved her. She just thanked the gods it wasn't Zappa who was going.

"Zippa," Garai's eleven year old son, Dario, called. He appeared in the doorway not a moment later, young face betraying the concern he was no doubt trying to conceal. "My brother…"

"Ah'll come take a look at him love," she said reassuringly and moved briskly into her bedroom.

Glenn, Garai's younger son, lay tangled in a mass of sheets and blankets on her bed. The five year-old child was hardly visible beneath the mess, save for his perpetually unruly sandy hair, sticking out from beneath a rumbled corner of the duvet, his ruddy little face covered up to the nose. Karsh stood dutifully beside him, watching him like a hawk, though obviously unsure of how to deal with the child's restless sleep, as he had left the boy to suffocate himself amidst the bedding.

"He was doin' fine Mam, Ah'm dead serious," Karsh proclaimed. "But suddenly he's started squirmin' around, and almost cryin' like, and I did'na know what was happenin'." He turned to his mother in horror. "Do ye think he's dyin'?"

Zippa laughed warmly. "Heavens no child!" She folded the covers down from Glenn's face, and smoothed his hair away from his forehead so as to lay a hand there and assess his temperature. She sighed, relieved that her words were not merely comfort for her child. "His fever's breakin' a bit. He's just gettin' fitful from a lyin' in bed these two days."

When Garai left, Glenn and Dario had been left to Zippa and Zappa's care. General Viper had offered to take the children into the protection of the manor, but their father felt that was unnecessary. Zappa's smithy wasn't far from Garai's home and Dario was old enough to stay in the house and watch over his brother at night. They had lessons at the manor during the day and normally dined either in the manor or at Zappa's home anyway, so Garai decided it would be easier to just let the boys stay at the house and have Zippa and Zappa check up on them from time to time. Besides the Dragoon Grandmaster was only supposed to be gone a week at most.

Everything was going swimmingly until yesterday when Glenn came down with a fever. Dario, being stubbornly independent, had of course tried to care for the child himself but was soon discovered by Riddel, General Viper's daughter, who thought it better that a mother should do so. Zippa, being the only mother figure to any of the Dragoon Deva's children was the natural choice. So Riddel had come knocking on the smithy door, Dario toting Glenn, swaddled like a baby, not two steps behind her. Zippa was scared half to death at the sight of them, thinking the precocious five year-old had gone and gotten himself poisoned or broken a bone while climbing trees in the Shadow Forest. This was not the case, but he was running a startlingly high temperature, was wracked with chills and coughing fits, and devoid of an appetite. Fortunately Karsh had had the same illness only a week earlier, so she at least had some idea of how to combat it and also where Garai's son probably contacted it from. She sent the older boys and Riddel to buy some medicine, fixed a cold compress to help reduce the fever and put Glenn to bed.

She was happy to see the child recovering. Karsh had had little trouble, but he was also seven years older than Glenn and hence had a stronger immune system. The little blonde was still far from healthy, but at least he seemed to be on the upswing.

Glenn opened his eyes and sat upright, coughing. He looked around, eyes still glossy with sleep.

"Ye're in my house Glenn," Zippa said, sitting down on the edge of the bed by the child's feet. "Do ye remember Dario bringin' ye over here yesterday?"

Glenn nodded. He coughed again.

"Cover your mouth when ye cough child," Zippa scolded, out of habit.

"Yes ma'am," Glenn said, bringing his palm to his mouth before merely clearing his throat.

Zippa chuckled softly. "Are ye hungry?"

Glenn shook his head. "Could I have some juice please?"

"Aye of course," Zippa replied. "But would ye please try to eat something? Just some bread maybe?"

"Okay," Glenn agreed.

Zippa rose to go to the kitchen and Dario immediately fell upon the empty bed space and embraced his brother. "I'm sorry I didn't bring you over here sooner," he apologized. "I wanted to prove to father that I could take care of us both myself. But I was stupid."

"Dario stoppit, you're squeezing all the breath out of me!" Glenn yelled.

"Well, I guess he's alright," Karsh remarked.

Zippa smiled in silent agreement with her son. _There's one good thing about Garai's late return. His children should both be healthy and happy as clams when he comes back._

Glenn started coughing again and Dario held him close as if somehow his embrace might make the coughing cease. The five year old hacked unabashedly into his older brother's tunic, and Zippa realized the relief she felt at the thought of Garai returning to two healthy children was possibly premature. At this rate Glenn would recover just in time for Dario to catch his virus.

"Hang in there laddie, I'll go get ye that juice ye were wantin'."

The rain was so heavy she could hardly see. Fortunately she could find her way blind folded from Viper Manor to Zappa's smithy in Termina. Could even probably find her way there sneaking out down the sewer system and through the Shadow Forest, though she hadn't attempted it in the flood. That would have been foolish. There was no need anyhow since, with the rain being as thick as it was, no one could have possibly seen her leave. Besides, they were all preoccupied with graver matters.

She reached the door of the smithy and pounded on it, the hard wood stinging against her little fist, already-chipping bits of blue paint scattering. She needed to get inside, if only take off her cloak, so heavy with water that she could have sworn it weighed a hundred pounds. Breathing with raindrops flying up her nose wasn't such a pleasant sensation either. But she knew it would all be worth it in the end. She had reached the smithy long before her father and his men and she would be the one to tell them. Her father wouldn't even have a chance to worry about her because by the time he returned from his errand and realized she had run away from the manor, he would have already found her at his destination.

The door flew open, provoked more by the wind than human force and Zappa's wife stood there, probably expecting to welcome her husband. "Miss Riddel!" she gapsed, recognizing the child under her layers of soaking fabric. "What the bloody hell are ye doin' here lass? Get in here at once, ye'll catch yer death of cold!" She ushered the girl inside, near slamming the door behind her, and peeled the cloak from her little shivering body.

"Zippa," Riddel began to speak, eyes darting around the room in search of what she had come for. When she saw no sign of Garai's children, she started to wander away towards the living quarters.

"Riddel, dinnae wander off lass! Come with me, Ah'll get ye out of those wet things before ye explain yersel," Zippa commanded, grabbing Riddel's arm and dragging her in the direction of the washroom.

Riddel stood firm, struggling to get away from her. "Where is Dario? I must see him at once!" It was desperately important. She was certain her father had left the manor by now and she could not let him arrive before she had said what she had come here to say.

"Why he's in my bedroom lass," Zippa replied, sounding alarmed by Riddel's sharp tone. "Ye can see him as soon as ye've changed child. Come now, ye'll be sick."

"No I must see him now," Riddel protested. "Please understand, it's very important." She paused for a moment, the gravity of her message tugging at her heart. "You'll understand soon."

She supposed she must have startled the woman since she said no more. Seizing the opportunity, Riddel ran off in the direction of the master bedroom, nearly plowing into Karsh in her haste.

"Riddel?" He asked, confused.

"Riddel!" Dario sprang to his feet and instantly had hold of her shoulders. He looked over her soaking body, face contorted with concern. "What happened to you? Why were you out in the storm?"

She smiled at him, a sad half-smile. He hadn't heard yet. She wasn't too late. She was convinced she wouldn't be, but it was nice to know for sure. "I…" she tried to speak but couldn't quite bring herself to. "Um…how is Glenn?" She peered around Dario to get a glimpse of the child on the bed.

Dario replied abruptly, "He's fine."

"I'm okay Miss Riddel. My throat is just scratchy and it makes me cough," Glenn explained. "Come sit with me!" He smiled at her hopefully.

Dario released his grasp on her. Hesitantly she walked towards the bed and sat by Glenn's feet, studying him sadly. He was so happy right now. Proud of himself for recovering, probably looking forward to tomorrow when the rain would stop and he could run around and maim straw targets with wooden swords, or run down by the docks and watch the fisherman reel in their livelihood by the net load. And here she was, about to spoil that happiness he had only so recently acquired. _He hasn't done anything wrong. _She told herself. _ Why did this have to happen?_

"Glenn," she began, cautiously. She reached a hand up to pat his sandy-blonde head and studied his smiling face for just one moment longer. _I have to say it. I'll tell it better than the grown-ups. As better as it can get. _"Dario-"

"What is it Riddel?" He was at her side, tugging at her arm to get her attention. "You don't look so good. Are you sick?"

She closed her eyes and wished she could say yes. "No," she said sadly. "There's nothing wrong with me. It's…your father." She swore her heart stopped beating as she choked out the last word.

"What's the matter Miss Riddel?" Glenn asked, voice quavering. "Did father get struck by lightning out in the storm?"

"Don't be stupid Glenn!" Dario scolded. "What's wrong with him Riddel? Is he sick, hurt? Did he break his arm or leg or something?"

They were face to face now, Dario's eyes scanning desperately for any sign of hope in hers. She began to cry. She tried hard not to, biting hard on the inside corner of her lip, scrunching up her face to keep the tears hidden behind her eyes, but it was no use. "He- he-he-'s…dead," she near whispered. She thought if she said it very softly it might make it less painful to hear.

"Dead?" The voice was Dario's she could tell though she did not see him. Her eyes were shut tightly again.

"Gods have mercy," said another voice. It was a woman; Riddel realized Zippa must have followed her into the master bedroom at some point after she ran off. The girl heard footsteps nearing her and opened her eyes as little as she possibly could, so that through the tiny gaps between her eyelids she could see Zippa, kneeling down in front of her, looking up at her down-turned face. "Is it true child?" Zippa asked gently.

Riddel nodded. Then there was a loud, insistent knock at the door and Zippa was on her feet. A moment later Zappa was inside, racing into the master bedroom first embracing Dario then holding his son. Zippa followed not long after with Radius and Riddel's father, General Viper. But he could did not run to embrace his daughter. Her arms were full of Glenn, clinging madly to her, and sobbing against her shoulder.

"Is…is it True, Lord Viper?" Dario asked. Riddel looked at him, wishing she could hold him too, but his face was calm and dry. His voice betrayed no emotion at all.

Riddel's father moved and kneeled before Garai's eldest son. "Yes, Dario. I am afraid it is." She wasn't certain, but Riddel thought she could see the smallest trace of tears in his eyes. She'd never seen her father cry.


End file.
